24 and counting: Australia women’s cricket team sweep New Zealand, extend world record

The final ODI at Bay Oval between the Australia women’s team and the New Zealand White Ferns was disrupted by rain. The feeling was that only nature could prevent Australia’s dominance in ODIs. However, the rain relented. The game was now a 25-overs-per-side contest. Australia still dominated. In the end, the world record streak extended to 24 as Meg Lanning’s Australia won the final game by 21 runs to sweep the series 3-0.

Despite the rain, New Zealand won a crucial toss and inserted Australia in. Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney had different ideas as they raced away. Healy and Mooney stitched a 73-run stand in just under 11 overs. Leah Tahuhu got the big wicket of Mooney. New Zealand fought back with Healy dismissed for 49. Contributions from the middle order helped Australia notch up a solid 149/7 in 25 overs. Leah Kasperek, the legspinner, was the most successful with 3/24.

Total dominance

In response, Australia’s bowlers stepped up and struck at regular intervals. Megan Schutt, Georgia Wareham and Ashleigh Gardner put New Zealand in massive trouble at 51/4. Any attempts at building a partnership were thwarted with Australia continuing to pile on the pressure. 

Schutt and Wareham were the pick of the bowlers with two wickets apiece. Despite Tahuhu bashing 21 off 13 balls which included two sixes, it was too late. Australia won the match and showed the cricketing world who the true champions were. 

Australia last lost an ODI against England in Cardiff in 2017. Since then, they have built an impressive streak that is the envy of the sporting world. They have now whitewashed New Zealand thrice along with England, Pakistan and India. The previous best streak in cricket was 21 by Ricky Ponting’s Australia cricket team in 2003. 18 years later, the Australia women’s team have broken new ground. It will be difficult to gauge which team have the capability to beat the Australia women’s cricket team.